A recent weekend found me wearing a shirt with the headline, “Gold in the Old.” It’s a t-shirt advertising Discovery Channels’ show, Fast & Loud. It’s a fun, lighthearted show, reality of course, (yeah), and it’s based on this fella, Richard Rawlins, who buys cars for cheap and either fixes and sells them or just re-sells them. His business, Gas Monkey Garage, is located in Dallas.

Coincidentally, I was out in my own shop for the better part of yesterday afternoon with my oldest daughter who was helping me “organize.” No small task. She loves to organize so it’s a perfect match.

The point was for me to get resources I have in places where I know they’ll be and lump them together with like resources. So, when I need them, I can find them quickly. I can also see what I don’t have and what I do have for resources (20 years of resources piled up in my shop – that’s a lot of 3-ring binders, hundreds of cassette tapes (remember those), hundreds of books and courses of all kinds).

It’s hard to organize this stuff, especially when it’s your own and you’re really just fine with how everything is stacked in piles (I am a pile stacker person).

Anyway – in going through all these piles and boxes, I kept noticing different pieces of brilliant information – some I’d written, some I’d purchased.

It was: Gold in the Old.

Turns out, after the afternoon wrapped up and it was time to get some dinner, I had a 6” pile on my desk in my office that I now needed to rifle through. It’s great stuff, all relevant and all really useful.

Some of the best advice I re-read from the umpteenth time: Go the opposite direction your competitors are heading – you’ll stand out. In other words, don’t do what every dentist in your area is doing. Be different. Innovate.

Another one – often a hard one for us entrepreneurs to swallow: You’ll never have a perfect business and you’ll never be totally “done.” Deal with it.

That alone was worth spending 3 hours rummaging through my old stuff to organize it. It was cleansing – purging even.

You and I have goals we set for ourselves. Some we write down, some we verbalize to others. (Using both methods at the same time is best. Public pronouncement and writing them down is hard to beat. Then of course, measuring how you do each and every day. This is how goals are met. It’s not a secret. There’s nothing mysterious about it.)

One goal I know you’d really like to hit is to have more new patient referrals. Right?

My question: Are you doing what you should be to get them? Or, are you “hoping” and just not getting?

My guess: You’re doing only a small portion of what you should be to get more. In fact, if I were in your office today, would I even hear your staff (any of them) talk to a patient about referring?

Would I see a newer sign proclaiming you welcome new patient referrals? Would I hear YOU have a convo with any patient about referring? Would I see any pieces of mail being prepared or already mailed (samples) of anything you’ve crafted to generate more referrals?

Would I see a monthly newsletter sent via email and snail mail? (If you’re only doing one, you’re MISSING a huge opportunity – one of the single biggest for practice growth!)

Would I see a chart on the wall in the plush staff lounge where you are plotting out which team member has referred the most patients and the rewards available? (Display pics of the rewards!)

Would I overhear your office manager training staff on asking for referrals?

If the answer is NO to any of these questions, then you’re asking for something that will never happen to the degree you want due to one thing: INCONGRUENT BEHAVIORS and no tracking of the goal.

Fix them. You then should have 1 staff meeting every month on REFERRALS and your team’s plan to generate more all the time. Ongoing meetings over this one thing will DOUBLE your referrals every year! You could go 100% referral! But, unless you’re willing to do the bare minimum above, you’ll never get there.

It happens at least once a month, maybe more often. (It’s toooo often, frankly.)

I encountered it early on, 20+ years ago when I first started working with dentists on their new patient marketing. The first couple times it happened, I thought, “Well, they are doctors, so maybe they know something I don’t.” I’d get my ego out of the way and I’d let it ride… As time went on, I began see it regularly. Funny thing is, I thought too, that eventually docs would catch on to the game. But they never did. And, they still haven’t. Not after 20+ years of doing my best to spread the word. And, it just happened again.

I called it, months ago, as soon as I heard what was going on. I knew exactly how it’d go. I knew the pain in store for the guy before he’d inked the contract for his new purchase. Then, when I had confirmation I was right yet again, I thought, “What an utterly sad situation. It didn’t have to be that way. But all of us get in our own way at some point, stifling our progress.” Us humans are a screwy group, eh?

When we were granted the ability to reason by God or whomever you believe gave us that ability (and something or someone had to – I’m totally convinced), I believe it came with a simple caveat:“You can reason like no other living, breathing, animal to differentiate you, but I won’t give you the ability to know if your reasoning is sound or not. That’ll be the litmus test for your own longevity, prosperity and happiness.” Kind of a cruel joke, huh?

So what am I talking about? Something you’re undoubtedly familiar with: Believing that new technology purchased by you and installed in your practice will attract new patients. If you’ve fallen into this trap before, a great sales pitch from some slick sales guy or gal, you know: New technology investment in your practice absolutely WILL NOT attract new patients. I don’t care if you add an E4D, a CEREC, a 3-D digital scanner, go from film-based x-rays to digital, or a simple Cavitron or $125,000 laser. None of it will compel patients to pick up the phone and make an appointment with you. Not a single piece of tech will do that.

Technology doesn’t get you new patients.

And, if you’ve been or are right now like many dentists, the tech you are buying is being paid for over time. Debt financing. Monthly strokes. Payments that are PAINFUL when you lack new patient flow. Yet, you justified (“reasoned”) that since it’s a business investment, it’s a good decision to go into debt. (And, I think some of it is “comfort.” You are comfortable with tech in dentistry, so it’s not a stressful act to “go deep” with something like a $100,000 piece of equipment.) Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Unless you’ve sat down and done a real return on investment analysis, I’m concerned for you. Regardless though, the actual tech you purchase (outright or over time) won’t put a butt in the op.

If you’re finding yourself tech heavy but low on new patients, and you’re concerned for your future, the best time to handle this is right now.

On April 13-14, a Friday and Saturday, I’ll be in Charlotte, NC, presenting my very last seminar on the east coast, titled, Jerry Jones Direct’s Pack Your Schedule New Patient Extravaganza.

You guessed it. It’s all about attracting new patients to your practice…

No, it’s not sexy clinical education, but it IS the education that will get you to the point where money won’t be an issue when it comes to investing in the tech that will make you the best gol darn dentist you can be!

Need new patients? Want to add an associate? Want to get more out of your practice than you’ve ever gotten before?

Hustle though. We’re halfway sold out for this small, intimate opportunity for you to finally break free and create the kind of new patient demand that will fuel your practice well into the next decade!

Be sure to check out the next Jerry Jones Direct “live” event coming to your area, in 2018! Learn more at http://busydentist.com – especially if you need or want more new patients to pack your schedule!

1. Getting your head screwed on right – Mindset! Without the right mindset, you’re doomed to fail before you even start. And, unless you’re around others who are successful, you can only guess what the correct mindset really is!

2. You’ll never be the smartest one in the room. You can learn from people smarter/more experienced than you, and, you also get the added benefit of helping others – which reminds you of important foundational behaviors, skills, and systems that you may be skimping on, now! (REAL Teachers grow through teaching and being a student! After all, school’s never out for the pro!)

3. We all know that in-patient care is far more effective than out-patient care. A drug addict can’t kick the habit when he’s still on the streets; he has to get around the right influences & influencers of behavior. Attending a live event puts you in direct contact with those who can help you get your head on straight! (See #1.)

4. A HUGE boost of “I’m gonna kick some butt!” Confidence! When you get around other really successful doctors, you find out there’s not a lot of difference between the two of you (you share the same challenges; now you can share the solutions). You learn that none of these people have anything on you – they’re nothing special! Success leaves footprints to follow. You need only locate the indentations in the sand.

5. If you’re not where you want to be, what are YOU willing to DO to change? If your practice is not as you’d like, frankly, you’re either not implementing or, you’re listening to the wrong influencers, nay-sayers, advertising reps, and false marketing deities.

6. Accessibility! My team and I are working in our “craft,” daily, and we can truly say, “Do as I say because I’m doing it, to get these results.” Plus, at live events, you can generally count on Faculty members offering any additional consulting at a much higher cost (than registration/travel/time) if and when you can get on their calendar! This is a way to milk the cow and beat them at their own game….

7. 20%’ers, 5%’ers, 1%’ers and the 80%’ers. 80%’ers figure they can still figure it out on their own… How’s that working for you right now? Yes, there are short-cuts. Why not USE them and increase the speed at which you reach your goals? There’s no cash rewarded to you for style points … only for getting done what needs to be done the way it should be done!

8. The Faculty at live events lay out the footprints for you to follow and you get to nuance/customize it in the conversations/questions you can ask them in-person. (e.g. Round tables where Faculty will be available to answer your unique questions.)

9. The content/recordings will be available in different form and at much higher investment for the value you’ll receive than attending the live event. (See #11)

10. A recording can leave you with more questions than answers. This can and will stall the improvement process, which is why you’re interested to begin with, so, why not avoid that hassle altogether?

11. Some of the most valuable conversations you’ll have will be in the convention halls. If you don’t attend, you miss this opportunity!

12. At LIVE events, because this is where the real players go to learn, if you’re not there, you’ll miss connecting with folks who are making HUGE impressions in the sand.

13. So much is edited from recordings. If you’re not there, live, and in-person, you will no doubt miss what’s never recorded and miss that crucial, “off the record” point. I know Faculty that will intentionally hold things back on recordings, but gladly make the points in live sessions. You will miss this!

14. Faculty Members can make outlandish claims. To find out if their full of hot air or not, and, if they are worth being around, if you’re not at the live event, you’ll miss this opportunity to pin down speakers/faculty on their outrageous claims!

15. For many doctors, attending events live gives them a chance to connect with new friends/successful colleagues and old friends alike. Not attending sacrifices this opportunity.

16. There’s something about live events that cannot be replicated in recordings. Just as watching a game on TV isn’t the same as seeing it in person. It’s better LIVE! So, you miss the aura of an event if you stay home. The energy doesn’t transfer well to recorded media….

17. If you don’t go, it’s nearly 100% certain your team won’t, which means, when will there be another opportunity for you to have your staff trained by one of the top dental offices in the country? What’s worse than that? You might get a vision in your head from listening to the recordings, but good luck trying to get your team who stayed home, too, to buy into it. And, if they don’t, it’s dead in the water!

18. It’s so easy to get into our mundane routines and see nothing but the four walls of our offices for weeks on end. To truly grow both in business and mentally, you have to experience something different and new, regularly! You have to go out of your comfort zone to find it. And, a LIVE event is a great way to get it done! (Plus, a nice side benefit is all the growth and income increases that come from it!)

19. When I first got started in business, one of the most valuable lessons I learned early was simply: Get out of the office regularly to work ON the business instead of IN it. If you only work IN your business, it and your growth and profit potential will be limited. Giant leaps forward come from disruptive opportunities. Getting to a live event like The Jerry Jones Direct New Patient Extravaganza, is a major, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you don’t want to let pass you by….

20. There is never a “good” time to do anything, except, right now. Fortune favors the bold and heckles the feckless. If you want it, you’ve got to go after it. Not someday. NOW!

Howdy, Jerry here… Many of you wanted to but could not attend the 25 Gems presentation I made last evening. Here is a replay — Be ready and prepared to take notes. Questions? Reach out to us! 503-339-6000 or through the Contact Jerry form. Be sure you check out http://busydentist.com to learn more about leveraging these incredible 25 Gems!

CURRENT EVENTS

Join us at the next PACK YOUR SCHEDULE New Patient Extravaganza! Stop struggling with new patients and enjoy practice again! Info @ BusyDentist.com to learn more.

So Who is Jerry Jones?

As the nation’s top expert on professional practice marketing with over 15 years experience, Jerry spends most of his time developing marketing and advertising strategies for his limited number of private clients and ClearPath Society Members.